Howe says League Cup semis ‘not sufficient’ for hungry Newcastle

Newcastle supervisor Eddie Howe says reaching a semi-final “is not sufficient” as prepares his staff to face Southampton within the League Cup on Tuesday, bidding to finish a decades-long trophy drought.

The Magpies reached their first League Cup semi for 47 years by beating Leicester earlier this month to arrange the conflict towards Saints, who dumped Manchester Metropolis out of the competitors.

Newcastle haven’t gained any home silverware for 68 years and Howe, who takes his facet to the south coast for the primary leg of the tie on Tuesday, doesn’t wish to fail with subsequent month’s Wembley remaining in sight.

“We’re delighted to be the place we’re, however the semi-final itself is not sufficient, I do not suppose it is sufficient for anyone,” he mentioned on Monday.

“I believe you go into these video games and to say you bought to a semi-final is nothing. Finally, you wish to get one step additional, I do know the gamers really feel the identical method.

“Me and my teaching staff really feel passionately about it that we wish to make the ultimate, however we now have to navigate these two video games, they’ll be very troublesome.”

Newcastle have made monumental strides since a Saudi-led consortium purchased the membership in October 2021 and are third within the Premier League, with only one league defeat all season.

“We’re determined for the following step, however we now have to take our thoughts off that actually and deal with the method and the job, and the job is to go to Southampton and carry out,” mentioned Howe.

Newcastle prolonged their Premier League document to fifteen video games unbeaten with a goalless draw at Crystal on the weekend.

Opponents Southampton are backside of the desk below new administration following the appointment of Nathan Jones in November and Howe was stuffed with reward for his reverse quantity within the dugout.

“Nathan I like enormously as a supervisor, I believe he is executed very nicely in his profession, taking a look at his time at Luton, what a job he did,” mentioned the Newcastle boss.

“He is now gone to a brand new membership and he is seeking to implement his concepts there. We all know with a brand new supervisor, new gamers coming in it is a totally different problem from the one we confronted below (earlier supervisor) Ralph (Hasenhuttl).

“I believe with the cup recreation as nicely it is an opportunity for each groups to get away from the Premier League and the pressures that brings — that’ll be an fascinating dynamic going into these two video games.”

The second leg will happen in Newcastle on January 31.

Manchester United journey to Nottingham Forest for the primary leg of their semi-final on Wednesday.

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